The case against Arellano lead to a decade of investigations and court hearings, and has resulted in a bill that could expand the way wiretaps are utilized in California.

Authored by state Senator Tom Umberg (D-Santa Ana), Senate Bill 439 would allow law enforcement to use intercepted phone calls, emails, and other electronic communications in cases that the state law would currently disallow.

Supporters of the bill argue that California law includes enough provisions to ensure that wiretaps would not be misused while those who oppose the proposal claim that if the bill was passed into law, wiretaps could be used for a dangerously broad range of purposes.

Should law enforcement be allowed to use wiretapping to hold potential criminals accountable or is wiretapping inherently an invasion of privacy?